LASER HARP (1980)

 

Get some laser beams instead of classica strings!
The laster Harp is ne of the most spectacular sound controller from the eighties.

 

 

INVENTOR first patents are from 1975, but the first model has been released by Bernard Szajner in 1980.

HOW a single laser splits in various beams assigned to different musical notes. The musician interrupts one of them that trigers a sound generator usually connected by Midi. The devices can be assigned also to any Midi Controller CC like Cutoff. Generally the harp does not produce directly any sound, so it is considered more a controller rather than an electronic music instrument. It is really spectacular and visual but quite limited for performance, however some new improved versions brought some new enhancements like beams height.

 

SOUND the laser harp is mostly famous for JM. Jarre exhibition around the world: a thundering sound is triggered from an Elka Synthex synthesizer. The preset is number 46 with just a little more Release on the amplitude VCA. The famous patch is composed by 2 synched DCO with variable pulse width and a ring modulator....just add a lowpass filter + a little of analog chorus et ... voilà!

 

DIY today a lot of Jarre geeks build some homemade laser harp to emulate the french musician.

 

TODAY years laterRoland im plemented in machines like Mc505, Sp808, Mc-909, V-synth a single-double (invisible) laser beam as parameter control strongly inspired from the Harp. This project has been realized by a third-company that sold this controller to the famous Japanese society.

 

laser harp most famous theme

YOUTUBE VIDEO CLIP SELECTION tetris theme Laserharp II Jean Michel Jarre Beverly Hills Cop (Theme Song)

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